Connecticut State Flag
Connecticut became the fifth state in the United States by ratifying the Constitution in 1788. The state’s name means, “beside the long tidal river.” Connecticut is forty-eighth in size, but it is the twenty-ninth most populous state. Hartford is the state capital, but Bridgeport is the state’s largest city. Children could visit an Internet site at: Connecticut. Idea: The state’s song is Yankee Doodle. Children could play the song on kazoos.
Jean Pierre Blanchard made the first balloon flight in the United States in 1793. President George Washington and other officials watched the 46 minute flight, staged in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He landed in New Jersey. Children can read an extensive article on the flight at: Blanchard. Children could also read The First Air Voyage in the United States: The Story of Jean-Pierre Blanchard by Alexandra Wallner.
Fisk School
Fisk School opened in 1866. The school’s population was comprised of African Americans because at the time most of them were being denied access to education. General Clinton B. Fisk provided the building in Nashville, Tennessee. The first students ranged in age from 7 to 70. Fisk School became Fisk University in 1867. Children can learn more at: Fisk School.
Cave Frostwork and Popcorn
Wind Cave National Park was established in 1903. The 33,500-acre park, located in South Dakota, hosts a mixed-grass prairie ecosystem with bison, elk, and prairie dogs. Below ground is a barometric wind cave with at least 137 miles of explored passages. The cave is unusually large and was formed by boxwork. Children can visit the park’s website and view some of its great multimedia presentations at: http://www.nps.gov/wica.
Clyde Robert Bulla (born King City, Missouri, 1914; died Warrensburg, Missouri, May 23, 2007) was a children’s author. He wrote over 60 books. One of his books is The Chalk Box Kid. Another famous book is A Lion to Guard Us. Children can learn more at: Clyde Robert Bulla.
Carrie Chapman Catt (born Ripon, Wisconsin, 1859; died New Rochelle, New York, March 9, 1947) was a women’s rights champion who advocated for the Nineteenth Amendment, women’s right to vote. She also established the National League of Women Voters in 1920. During World War II she worked with the United States government to allow more Jews to immigrate to America and to escape Nazi governments. Children could read Carrie Chapman Catt: A Voice for Women by Kristin Thoennes Keller.
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (born Yorba Linda, California, 1913; died New York, New York, August 22, 1994) was the thirty-seventh president (1969 – 1974) of the United States. During World War II, he served in noncombat duty. He was elected to Congress in 1946 and to the Senate in 1950. He was Eisenhower’s vice president. During Nixon’s presidency the first moon landing occurred. Also, he made an important visit to China. He served from January 20, 1969, to August 9, 1974, when he resigned. He was about to be impeached. Children could visit a website at: Richard Nixon.